Linked
by Mystrothedefender
Summary: The link between 'Prove me right' and 'Fear of love' Quite an enjoyable story... unless you're Nightwing...
1. Chapter 1

**This links 'Prove me right' with my Twoface Riddler story 'Fear of love'**

He had just finished dealing with Bane.

Now Riddler had reared his geeky little head.

Bruce didn't really feel up to it, but, it was better than dealing with the Joker again.

That clown had been messing with his head so badly recently, it would be nice to fill his thoughts with something not as troubling.

He shook his head, he needed to stop thinking of him like that… he hadn't thought of anyone like that since…

Well.

He walked through the hall of the old Wayne-tech building, it looked like there had been a struggle, ending in the foyer, there were three men, shot dead, shot perfectly.

Bruce recreated the scene in his head; Riddler was working with someone, though… he couldn't tell who it was, someone taller than himself judging by the approximate angle of the shot.

That narrowed it down a little, he'd run some stats on the computer later, when he got the chance to.

He continued up the stairs, there was some blood on the floor by them, and some rubber scraped into the floor, someone had been dropped from... ¾ of a flight up.

He could see where he'd been thrown from, there were more scuffs and some mud on the stairs, he followed them up 2 sets and into a room.

The room was bathed in a sickly green light, a progress bar, three quarters of the way complete, was present on the screen.

Bruce felt his heart sink when he saw the object attached to the computer.

He gently pulled the usb from the computer, and exhaled gently, looking at the engraved symbol.

"…Harvey…"

He turned the object over, there was an inscription on the back, it simply said 'Merry Birthday'; the present he had bought for Harvey's birthday had not arrived on time, so he had tried to make up for it at Christmas, and that was the best that a 16-year-old Bruce could think of.

He remembered it as if it was yesterday, so clear in his mind.

He had been so young, and in love, and… confused.

He had loved Harvey so much, but they had hidden it.

Bruce wasn't even sure why. He knew Alfred wouldn't have minded, nor Harvey's parents.

But, they had.

He wished they hadn't.

He lifted the object to his lips and kissed it, closing his eyes as he did.

It felt odd, to touch the object again, the last time must have been when he had held it in his mouth, between his teeth, as they…

When they had been together.

He sighed and looked down at it again.

Why had Riddler had it? Bruce knew Harvey, he knew he wouldn't let anyone touch this, unless they were close, ivery/i close.

Harvey ihated/i Riddler, he talked to much, was too upfront, he hid nothing, Harvey hated that, for Harvey the fun was in the chase, in finding out what was hidden.

He must have stolen it. That little shit!

Bruce walked quickly from the room and down the stairs.

How dare that little fuck steal this, did he even know what he'd stolen?

He was trying to download something.

Did that mean…

Had he deleted the files?

Bruce felt his chest begin to throb. Oh god, he hoped he hadn't deleted the files.

Don't let the world be that cruel…

He rushed himself to the batmobile and plugged the small data-stick into the car's computer.

He pulled the file index up on the tiny monitor, and saw that there was a locked folder, relief flooded him so intensely that it caused him to let out a tiny moan.

'XHarvey, privateX' the file was called.

Bruce unlocked it, and looked through, smiling gently. Hundreds of pictures of them together.

Just of them, sitting, kissing, laying with one another, one of Bruce playfully biting Harvey's nose. The memory of that moment making Bruce chuckle slightly.

He ejected the usb from the computer, and placed it in the glove compartment.

He would have to make sure he returned this.

**I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**And the second part -this is set during 'lasting smile'**

No one was sure who had burned the place down, but, down it had burned.

"Shit…" Dick said breathily, running a hand through his auburn hair, he lifted his feet and placed them on the kitchen table.

"What's happened now Master Dick…?" Alfred asked across the room from where he stood cooking.

Dick clicked a few buttons on the computer, "One of the villain's hideouts has been burned down, third one this month."

Alfred sighed, "I'll inform Master Bruce."

"You may not want to…" Dick said solemnly, "It was Harvey's place."

"Oh lord…"

Dick leaned further back on his chair, "I'll check it out, once I'm sure Harvey is ok I'll tell him."

Alfred nodded, sighing gently, Dick looked over at the old man, surprised by his quietness, "Alfred… What happened between Bruce and Harvey? They were friends, I get that, but… Bruce's reaction."

"They weren't just friends," Alfred said, approaching Dick with a bowl of food, "They've known each other since they were 10, when Harvey changed… it was 15 years of… constant contact, erased. There was not a day that Bruce didn't see something of him."

Dick nodded, smiling sadly, he understood; Bruce thought he knew Harvey, and then, suddenly, he became a different person.

It must have been awful to lose someone he'd been friends with for that long.

"And now the same thing has happened with Joker…" Dick said, taking the food Alfred had passed him.

"It's the business with Harvey all over again," Alfred said, turning back to the stove to ladle some food onto Bruce's plate.

"It wasn't this bad with Harvey."

Alfred shook his head, "It still took a toll on him, they were ivery/i close…"

Alfred remembered how bad it had been, Bruce had refused to sleep until he had found the man who was once his friend. He had walked the house unable to speak of anyone but Harvey.

They had been more than friends, that was obvious to Alfred, he had expected Bruce to admit it after Harvey had gone, but he hadn't, and he'd driven himself mad over it.

"Do you think he would have reacted this badly if ihe/i had died?" Dick asked.

Alfred nodded, wondering to himself if it was Joker's death that had caused Bruce to admit his feelings for the clown. Maybe if Harvey had died he would have admitted it then too, rather than hiding the emotion in himself.

He still refused to admit to them, getting angry when anyone suggested they were more than 'just friends'.

"Alfred!" Bruce's voice shouted from the other room, making the old man's heart jump into his throat, "Is the food ready yet?"

Dick bit his lip as Alfred replied and finished preparing Bruce's food.

How much of the conversation had Bruce heard…?

Dick got to his feet and left the room, taking the route that would not take him past Bruce.

He would need to go and investigate the scene of the fire, he would do that night, he had some research to do before then.

If only he could remember where he'd left his blue book.

…

Dick watched Bruce and Tim speed off in the Batmobile, he himself began to follow on his bike.

He was sure, quite sure, that Bruce should not find out about the fire, not yet.

He sped towards the burned building on his own, letting Tim show Bruce away.

He stopped at the apartment building: the top corner of it was stained an ugly shade of dark grey.

Harvey had been on his way to rehabilitation, he was on parole and hadn't broken it at least.

He climbed to where he knew Twoface's apartment was, and entered it.

He had to keep light on his feet while walking the place, he knew the place hadn't been extensively damaged, but he was unsure where, or if, the floor was weak.

He could see that the fire had started in the kitchen, probably meant to look like a gas leak, though it was obvious at first glance that the cooker was electric.

What idiots pulled this shit?

…It had to be the Jokers, they were the only ones who would do this so clumsily.

Making it so obvious who it was.

But they had no motive to do this. Someone must have hired them to do this, but who.

They must have left something.

It looked to be a two bedroom apartment, with a large living room, luxurious bathroom and an over-stocked kitchen.

More than Twoface deserved.

Not just that, more than he would have needed.

There were two people here, that soon became obvious: the duplicate meal on the coffee table in the living room, two separate cups, one filled with coffee, one with juice.

The other inhabitant, judging by the garish décor of the other room, was the Riddler.

Though, the bed didn't seem to have been slept in, not for… at least 2 weeks.

So…

Had he just been staying during the day?

Then where had he been going at night?

And why was his room decorated?

That made no sense.

It didn't, not until he searched Harvey's room, and found 2 indents in the sheets. One the approximate size of Harvey, one the approximate size of Edward.

The sheets were stained with sweat, and…

"Ew!" Dick almost shouted, throwing the sheet away from himself, "Ew, ew, eww!"

He wiped his hand on himself, "Damn."

Now not only were the villains working together…

"They're…"

This was important, this was something Bruce must know.

He searched more through the room, and again through the living room, on the coffee table there was a small square of yellow paper, Dick frowned.

'One step closer, S'

He folded the paper and stowed it on himself; he'd run the note through the computer and see if he could find any prints on it, or analyse the handwriting to see who had left it.

Who the hell was 'S'?

…Batman had more experience with these villains as of late, maybe it was someone new who had shown while Dick had been gone, and so Dick didn't know them as extensively as he did the old ones.

He had entries in his blue book that were only the photo's and names, no info.

He needed to fix that, before he fell behind.

A sound buzzed into his ear 'Nightwing! Get here now! Bruce's flipped!'

.

**I hope you liked it!**

**Please review!**


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